Intervention
by Chereche
Summary: Established Niff. Pre-Klaine. Set in Season 2. A/U Jeff and Nick come fight as they decide on the best way to get their stubborn new friend the help he clearly needs.


"I told him to take the day off," Jeff said defensively, gesturing to the slumbering boy slumped over a table not too far away. "It's not my fault he didn't listen to me."

Nick scowled at the whining edge to his boyfriend's tone. This was definitely not the time for him to be playing the victim when there was a visibly sick new kid to be concerned about. "You should have said something to the teacher when he showed up for class this morning Jeff. Heat's radiating off him, and you let him go to all of his morning classes. Why didn't you at least drag him to a nurse?"

If he had hoped to offset Jeff's growing whine with that small bit of scolding, Nick failed miserably. Far from settling, Jeff's ire increased. "Will you listen to me?" he demanded, glaring at the slightly shorter teenager. "He. Wouldn't. Listen. Don't let that cherub face fool you. He's as stubborn as a mule. He threatened to rip up my posters if I mentioned the word 'nurse' to him again. He said that he has a test tomorrow, and that that's more important than some stupid old cold. What was I supposed to do?"

"Get help. That is no cold Jeff."

"It's not my fault Nicholas!" the blond grated out, losing all patience.

It was the use of his full name that finally caused Nick to restrain himself. Jeff never used it unless he was being serious with him. Perhaps he was being a bit unfair with his boyfriend; however, he had become quite protective of Dalton's newest addition. They all had, which meant that Jeff probably had tried his hardest to take care of Kurt.

"Look, let's not fight over this," he said, in a placating tone. "I shouldn't be upset with you. Kurt's our priority now."

"You shouldn't," Jeff grumbled in agreement. "I tried my best."

Jeff, he knew, cared about Kurt as much, if not more than he did. Although it had just been a little over three weeks since Kurt's transfer, he and Jeff had become almost inseparable. They had simply clicked in a way that still had many of their fellow students shaking their heads in disbelief. One would think that they had been friends forever and not just for a few days the way they carried on together.

"It's just that I've never seen Kurt be anything but polite and agreeable, so I guess I didn't believe you at first. I do now. It doesn't change the fact that he's sick though. But if he's being as stubborn about going to the nurse as you say, we'll have to see if she'll come down here. Or maybe I can get a teacher. He would have no choice but to listen then."

"He'd never forgive you for that though," Jeff pointed out, mollified now that Nick did not seem intent on blaming him for Kurt's state.

"It's something I'll just have to live with," he sighed, allowing his gaze to drift over Kurt's still form.

Jeff nodded in agreement, however a moment later, a thoughtful expression crossed his face. "Wait, let me go find Blaine. Kurt will listen to him."

"Given what you've said I doubt that will be the case, Jeff."

Jeff rolled his eyes before responding. "I keep forgetting that you aren't around Kurt as much as I am. He listens to Blaine. I have no idea why, but he does. They've got some sort of thing going on between them, but trust me, when Blaine speaks, Kurt listens. Urgh, why didn't I think of this from the start? Blaine would have gotten him to the nurse long ago. So you stay here okay? I'll go get Blainers. He'll be with Wes and David now, right?"

"He should be," Nick confirmed, although a hint of scepticism remained in his tone. Jeff seemed oddly confident though, and after the near-mishap from before, Nick was not going to openly doubt him for the considerable future.

Jeff knew him too well though, for he caught the look. "Okay Nicky," he declared briefly propping a hand on his hip in a gesture strangely reminiscent of Kurt, "next time we hang out, it'll be in my dorm room so you'll see for yourself. Blaine's the only reason Kurt eats more than a salad for lunch and hasn't landed at least three detentions for uniform violations. Just you wait and see."

"I'll take your word for it," Nick allowed, giving him a quick peck before hurrying him off.

Sighing, he propped himself against the table, resisting the urge to check Kurt for a fever. If he really was as snappish as Jeff was implying, he'd leave it to Blaine to handle him.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooo

It took roughly fifteen minutes for his boyfriend to return, but when he did, it was with an anxious looking Blaine in tow.

"He's over there," Jeff said, pointing to where Kurt was slumbering. "I told you he was in bad shape," Jeff added in response to Blaine's harsh intake of breath. Kurt's cheeks – his entire face actually - was flushed a deep pink from the fever he had.

Blaine had indeed been with the Council members, arguing over who know what when Jeff had found him. However, it had only taken a brief explanation on his part ("Blaine, Kurt's sick and he won't go to the nurse") to have the Warbler demanding to be led to Kurt's location. Nick had claimed the seat besides Kurt a few minutes before, and was gently pressing a soaked handkerchief against his skin.

"He refused the nurse, you said?" Blaine asked, as he approached the table.

"Yeah. He wanted to study."

"I'll have to have a talk with him about priorities," Blaine muttered, stalking across the room.

Nick quickly surrendered his seat to Blaine, brushing aside his thanks. He moved to Jeff's side, wrapping a hand around his waist as he took in the scene.

Blaine, after a quick brush of his hand against Kurt's forehead, pressed his free hand against Kurt's back, rubbing it in a brisk movement meant to wake him. It took half a minute before Kurt responded, moaning softly as he turned his head away.

"Wake up Kurt," Blaine told him. "You need to go to the nurse's office with me."

"Not sick,"

"I need you to come with me to the nurse."

"Not sick," he mumbled loudly and Jeff snorted. He had gotten that line thrown at him enough times that morning.

"The fever says otherwise," Blaine rebutted. "Now sit up for me."

"Not sick," Kurt reiterated, turning his head away from him.

Nick shot his boyfriend a triumphant look only for him to raise a stilling hand. "He doesn't realise it's Blaine," he whispered.

Blaine's countenance changed, and Nick was surprised by the stern expression he suddenly sported. "Kurt Hummel," he declared, "you are going to see the nurse one way or another. Whether you walk there or are carried is up to you. I suggest you decide in the next...ten seconds."

That drew a reaction from Kurt, who, groaning sat up, turning watery eyes on the lead Warbler. "I don't want to see a nurse. I need to study."

"What you need to do," he told him firmly, while rising, holding his hands so that he was forced to as well, "is get some medication and rest. Uh-uh, no buts now. You fell asleep on your book Kurt and I can feel the heat wafting off you. How you managed to last so long surprises me. Now, come on, no more arguments. I'm already displeased that you hid your illness from me this morning, and caused poor Jeff so much trouble."

"But Blaine-"

"Come on Kurt," Blaine insisted, wrapping his arm around him to keep him steady before walking him across the room. He paused by them. "Thanks for calling me Nick and thanks for looking out for him Jeff. I'll take it from here. I'm positive he won't be in any of this afternoon's classes."

"I'll let the teachers know," he promised. "And I'll take his stuff back to the dorms okay?"

"Thank you. I'm sure that Kurt will have something to say to you when he is not in this state."

"I have to study," Kurt whined, although it did not stop him from leaning more fully against the boy.

"You can study all you want when you're better Kurt. I really don't know much about McKinley, but here, teachers let students take make-up exams once they're cleared for it."

Nick and Jeff did not hear the Kurt's reply as he was reluctantly led away, but once the door closed behind them, Jeff turned to him with a triumphant look on his face. "I should have bet you dinner at Harvey's," he declared, dropping his head against his shoulder. "But I will settle for a 'Jeff is always right'."

"I'm not going to inflate your ego further," Nick grumbled, wrapping an arm around him, "so you'll have to settle for a 'I love you'."

And that, Jeff decided as they snuggled against each other for the few remaining minutes of lunch, would always be enough for him.


End file.
